Coronavirus: 50% of staff in Punjab's public, private offices to work from home

The Punjab government has directed public and private offices throughout the province to ensure that 50% of the staff works from home, as a measure to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

According to a notification issued by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Monday, the new order comes into effect immediately and will remain applicable till January 31, 2020.

The decision by the Punjab government came a few hours after Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced that educational institutions will remain closed throughout the country till January 11.

The minister, after a meeting with education ministers of all four provinces, decided that students will take classes from home till December 24. From December 24 to January 10, they will be on a winter break.

"All ministers have mutually decided that to keep all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities, and tuition centres closed. However, online classes will continue from November 26 to December 24 after which winter break will start. Schools will reopen on January 11, 2021," Shafqat Mahmood had said during the news conference.

Mahmood had said that children's health and safety is the top-most priority of the government, adding that examinations scheduled to take place in December will be postponed, with the exception of a few professional exams.

During the meeting, it was decided that micro-decisions regarding examinations and other matters will be taken by the respective provinces.

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Putin remains steadfast, holds off on congratulating Biden over US election win

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia is willing to work with whomever is officially declared the next president of the United States, but that he won't offer congratulations until the winner is formally decided or a candidate concedes.

Putin's remarks broadcast on Sunday on state television reiterate earlier Kremlin comments on why Putin had not congratulated Joe Biden after major news organisations called him president-elect, as did many other world leaders.

"We are just waiting for the end of the internal political confrontation," Putin said, referring to Republican challenges to the vote count.

"We will work with any person who will be given the trust of the American people. But who will be given this trust? It must either be indicated by political custom when one of the parties recognises the victory of the other, or the final results of the elections are summed up in a legitimate, legal way," he said.

Earlier this month, China finally congratulated Biden nearly a week after he was declared winner of the American election.

“We respect the choice of the American people. We express our congratulations to Biden and Harris,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had said at a regular press briefing, referring to incoming vice president Kamala Harris.

Wang had said China understands “the result of the US election will be determined in accordance with US laws and procedures”.

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Is Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari taking inspiration from Benazir's nikah outfit for her engagement?

Now that the date of Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari's engagement is approaching, speculations have moved from who and where the groom is to who and what will she wear.

Naturally, our ears perked up when we heard that the bride-to-be wants to recreate the dress her late mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, wore on her nikah to Asif Ali Zardari in the 80s. Full disclosure: we were already hoping that her attire would incorporate an element from her mother's wardrobe (we took a hint from the invitation cards).

The design house, Resham Revaj, behind Benazir's nikah outfit also reacted to the news, saying "Congratulations to Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari on her engagement, feeling honoured that she wants to recreate Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto's nikah jorah designed by Resham Revaj", alongside a picture of the original outfit.

However, so far, there is no confirmation from the PPP camp or Bakhtawar herself if there's any truth to these reports. When Images asked around, sources in Bilawal House said that yes, Bakhtawar has decided to fashion her dress after Benazir's style — but not necessarily one particular dress.

Sources also said the chances of the dress being green in colour are very high.

The idea of a contemporary take on Benazir's embellished green and pink sharara ensemble sure sounds exciting but it seems we'll know if Bakhtawar said yes to her mother's dress only on November 27 and not a day before.

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GB forest dept building, 4 vehicles torched as PPP's protest against alleged rigging turns violent

At least four vehicles, one of which belonged to an interim minister, and a building of Gilgit-Baltistan's forest department were torched by unidentified persons on Monday as a protest arranged by the PPP against alleged rigging in a constituency in the recent GB elections turned violent, police said.

Gilgit Senior Superintendent of Police Mirza Hussain said the violence started after a clash between security forces and protesters. He said there were no injuries and no one had been arrested. Police have sealed off roads in the region.

PPP's GB chapter President Advocate Amjad, however, said that several workers of the party were injured from tear gas shelling by police. He said demonstrations will be held in 12 districts from 12-4pm tomorrow.

Meanwhile, PPP's information secretary for GB Saadia Danish said that party workers had arranged a peaceful protest against alleged rigging in GBLA-II but the police used force to stop them. She said police resorted to baton-charge and aerial firing, which led to the disruption of peace. She held the local administration responsible for the law and order situation.

The returning officer of GBLA-II, in his report submitted last week, said that a forensic examination of the postal ballot papers should be conducted as their legitimacy was suspect.

However, today the chief election commissioner (CEC) of GB called the candidates who had contested from the constituency and said that he had not received any report from the RO but he did have the vote count. The candidates of PPP and PML-N, however, raised questions over the CEC's statement, saying that it was unlikely that he had not received the RO's report.

A winner from the constituency is yet to be announced.

Both PPP and PML-N have levelled allegations of rigging in the recent GB elections.

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Israel’s Gantz sets up panel to probe Netanyahu submarine scanda

Israel's minister of military affairs Benny Gantz has announced the formation of a commission to investigate the purchase of submarines and missile boats from Germany that has embroiled several close associates of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The probe, which is expected to last about four months, “can shed light on part of the processes that led to the procurement of the submarines and vessels,” Gantz said on Sunday.

The commission lacks legal authority and cannot force any witness to testify before it.

Netanyahu was questioned but not named as a suspect in the submarine scandal.

The latest development comes as Israeli protesters have demanded Netanyahu to be probed during their weekly protests that occur outside the prime minister’s official residence.

Netanyahu, who is on trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three other cases, was sworn in for a fifth term this summer after striking a unity deal with his principal election rival, former military chief Gantz.

Gantz’s move is seen as an attempt to pressure Netanyahu into fulfilling their coalition agreements, but reports have said it could further destabilize the already shaky unity regime.

Israeli police have arrested six people, including individuals very close to the prime minister, in a case that could implicate Netanyahu himself.
Netanyahu’s Likud party slammed Gantz’s decision as an empty political maneuver intended to revitalize his flagging support.

“Gantz has not succeeded in emerging from the depths of the polls,” the party said in a statement, “so he is recycling the submarines to garner votes while his party is busy with internal quarrels.”

 

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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia, met crown prince

Israeli media reported on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for a clandestine meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which would mark the first known encounter between senior Israeli and Saudi officials.

Hebrew-language media cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying that Netanyahu and Yossi Cohen, head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, flew to the Saudi city of Neom on Sunday, where they met with the crown prince. The prince was there for talks with visiting United Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

A Gulfstream IV private jet took off just after 1740 GMT from Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, according to data from website FlightRadar24.com. The flight traveled south along the eastern edge of the Sinai Peninsula before turning toward Neom and landing just after 1830 GMT, according to the data. The flight took off from Neom around 2150 GMT and followed the same route back to Tel Aviv.

The Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Pompeo traveled with an American press pool on his trip throughout the Mideast, but left them at the Neom airport when he went into his visit with the crown prince.

While Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates have reached deals under the Trump administration to normalise ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia so far has remained out of reach.

King Salman long has supported the Palestinians in their effort to secure an independent state. However, analysts and insiders suggest his 35-year-old son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is likely more open to the idea of normalising relations without major progress in the moribund peace process.

The kingdom approved the use of Saudi airspace for Israeli flights to the UAE, a decision announced the day after Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, met with Prince Mohammed in Riyadh. Bahrain normalising ties also suggests at least a Saudi acquiescence to the idea, as the island kingdom relies on Riyadh.

 

 

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Ceasefire violations: FO summons Indian diplomat

The Foreign Office summoned on Monday a senior Indian diplomat to register Pakistan’s strong protest over recent ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) that resulting in serious injuries to eleven civilians.

Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian population with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed more than 2,820 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in martyrdoms of 26 people and serious injuries to 245 civilians.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by Indian forces, it was underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.

The spokesperson said: “These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security”. He added by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).

The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

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